


An Unexpected Threat to the Hidden Leaf

by Maiika



Series: Kakayama prompts [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Akatsuki Tenzo, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24320092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiika/pseuds/Maiika
Summary: He expects notorious criminals from other hidden villages.  He expects masked figures whose identities he might never know.  What Kakashi does not expect is to see a ghost from his past.“Tenzo?”“Kakashi-senpai,” Tenzo says with cold eyes, lacking his usual deference and smile, “don’t call me Tenzo.”
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Yamato | Tenzou
Series: Kakayama prompts [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1361143
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	An Unexpected Threat to the Hidden Leaf

Kakashi wakes to feeling chakra-drained and beaten, but that’s nothing new after a big fight.

What  _ is _ new are the chains chafing his wrists and ankles.

Kakashi’s head rolls back when he hears the approach of footsteps and knows his fight is far from over. He’s already sent Pakkun on his way to report to the hokage about what’s happened, but by the time reinforcements arrive, it might be too late. These Akatsuki holding him here don’t know about Pakkun’s mission, and Kakashi’s counting on that. He may not be able to save himself, but he can warn the Leaf before it’s too late for the village. 

For Naruto. 

For all the villages’ jinchuriki.

The footsteps draw closer, and Kakashi puts on his mask. Not the one made of cloth he can still feel covering the lower half of his face, but the one that may deceive his captors into believing they don’t have him worried. Into believing he doesn’t care whether they kill him slowly or do it fast. Into believing he might still have a trick up his sleeve that’ll destroy this entire hideout and everyone in it.

That would be nice for  _ him _ to believe. With his hands bound and spread apart as they are, he couldn’t weave signs even if he had enough chakra to fuel a jutsu - which he doesn’t.

A shadow stretches across the floor of the cave, further alerting Kakashi of the fact that he is no longer alone. These people are not only strong, but smart enough to know not to leave him for too long - not to give him a chance to escape or fight back. They’re not underestimating him because of his drained state - and that’s a shame. Really, being underestimated is the only card Kakashi has to play now - unless he can convince one of his captors to  _ willingly _ release him.

He raises his head, and when his eye follows the stretching shadow to a robed figure walking toward him, the breath is stolen from Kakashi’s lungs. He expected notorious criminals from other hidden villages. He expected masked figures whose identities he might never know. What he does not expect is to see a ghost from his past - a fellow ANBU who left the village months ago.

“Tenzo?”

“Kakashi-senpai,” Tenzo says with cold eyes, lacking his usual deference and smile, “don’t call me Tenzo.”

Kakashi shakes his head. The chains rattle beside his ears as he recoils from Tenzo’s approach. He can’t reconcile the child he met and rescued from ROOT, the subordinate he  _ knows, _ with this man in red and black robes lurking in caves with notorious killers.

Maybe he  _ isn’t _ Tenzo.

Tenzo tilts his head. “Pakkun is on his way to the village, I assume.”

Kakashi grits his teeth.  _ Shit. _

Tenzō waves a dismissive hand and steps closer. “No matter. We have someone on it.  _ Don’t _ worry,” he adds as he locks eyes with Kakashi, “Pakkun won’t be harmed.”

“Tenzo,” Kakashi rasps, twisting his wrists and pulling against the sharp edges of metal, “what are you  _ doing _ here? How can you betray the village?”

Tenzo’s footsteps cease. He holds for a moment, unmoving and silent. Kakashi doesn’t breathe. He knows this is when Tenzo is most deadly. Though it’s been years since he’s been on the wrong end of Tenzo’s abilities, he remembers this is no opponent to underestimate. Hell,  _ Naruto _ in his sloppy state of training and poor chakra control would be wrong for Kakashi to underestimate in this current unfortunate predicament.

“I once had a captain I admired,” Tenzo says slowly, stepping in front of the nearest firelight so the torch backlights him, casting his facial features in shadows. “He told me years ago these words I will never forget: a mission to kill a comrade is wrong. Whoever gives such an order is  _ wrong.” _

Kakashi furrows his brows, fights to call upon his chakra, but his only reward is frustration as he looks upon an unsympathetic face cast in shadows. If this  _ is _ his old friend, he isn’t making any sense.

“Tenzo, the Hidden Leaf village - you know it’s not all like Danzo. The Hokage wouldn’t-“

Tenzo laughs. It’s curt and critical, making Kakashi recoil from the sharpness of it. “You have no idea, do you? How could you? They don’t want  _ you _ to see. The hokage’s best ANBU need to be kept in the dark. They’d never tell you the truth about the massacre. You’re not ANBU anymore, though...are you? No more porcelain mask? No more of the old uniform for you, Senpai?”

Kakashi sighs. “Help me understand.”

“Why? So you can report it to the village? Tell them our plans?”

“Nice of you to suggest I’ll walk away from here alive,” Kakashi says easily, holding Tenzo’s gaze under a heavy eyelid and the familiar weight of his hitai-ate. “I don’t suppose you’ll be kind enough to set your old Senpai free?”

“He’s not telling you anything,” says a deep voice from the shadows. “And he’s certainly not setting you free, Sharingan Kakashi.”

The figure steps from the shadows to reveal a pierced face and messy cropped red hair. His disarming gray eyes are more haunting than looking into the Sharingan. Tenzo tilts his head toward the figure, his demeanor mostly calm, but Kakashi notices the way his knuckles clench beneath the overhanging sleeves of his robe.

“Leader,” Tenzo addresses him as his eyes dart to Kakashi, “if we can persuade him...tell him our plan. Kakashi could be a valuable asset to the Akatsuki.”

“A spy?” the figure regards Kakashi with a dead stare. “No. He’s too loyal to the village and its tainted belief system. You’re right though about him being an asset - to the Hidden Leaf.” He locks his gaze on Tenzo. “You know what has to be done.”

Tenzō gives a curse nod. “Yes, Leader.”

“Can you continue with questioning him? Or should I send in Sasori to-“

“No. I’ll do it,” Tenzo says firmly before shooting a glance at Kakashi. “I’ve seen how Kakashi works under interrogation. No one else here but Itachi would recognize his misinformation for what it is and-“

“Itachi and Kisame are-“ the leader sighs and waves his hand at Tenzo. “Fine. Continue. Find out everything you can about the nine tails jinchuriki.” He pins his fierce gaze on Kakashi. “You have the opportunity to save your village from pain now. I recommend you cooperate. One sacrifice for the masses. I do not wish to bring any more violence to your people than necessary.”

“Like I can believe that, after everything that’s happened here.” Kakashi lets out a low growl and summons all the lightning chakra available to him. “If you think I’d  _ give _ you Naruto you’re-“

The moment bright light flashes from his fingertips and the high pitch of chirping birds begins, branches burst from the grounds. They pin Kakashi’s cuffed wrist flush against the stone wall. Kakashi cries out as his bones are crushed and he’s forced to extinguish chidori.

“Don’t,” Tenzo hisses. He steps forward, glaring. “You  _ will _ give us Naruto. It’s the only way to save your precious village, Kakashi.”

With the flick of Tenzo’s wrist, the bindings tighten. Kakashi lets out a sharp cry, feeling his fingers on the verge of a break. The slightest bit more pressure and something will snap. He exhales through the pain and watches as the third presence in the cave walks out, casting one last glance over his shoulder at Tenzo. More branches shoot from the ground, crawling over Kakashi’s legs and weaving their way toward his other hand.

“Now I know better than to believe you might lead the boy to us,” Tenzo says, clasping his hands together as the growing vines tighten around Kakashi’s other hand. “But you  _ can _ tell me about his weaknesses.”

“What,” Kakashi rasps through the strain of wrestling with his bindings, “do you want with him? Tenzo, you’re my friend. You can’t possibly believe this is right.”

“You would believe it, too,” Tenzo says solemnly, “if you knew what I’ve learned.”

Kakashi prepares to argue, but as he inhales, the bindings finally loosen. The pressure eases. He watches the vines fall off his wrists. The cuffs remain, but before Kakashi can ask about them, he hears the jingle of keys approaching. He looks up, wide-eyed, to see Tenzo coming toward him with the key positioned toward the cuff at his left wrist.

“You’ll have to be quick,” Tenzo tells him in a rushed whisper as the cuff clicks and falls open. “Nothing escapes Pain. You-“

“Tenzo.” Kakashi grasps him by the shoulder, holding him in place as he reaches for Kakashi’s other wrist. “Why?”

“I already explained, Senpai,” Tenzo says softly as he unlocks the other cuff. “I haven’t forgotten your words. Working with the Akatsuki may be the lesser evil, but I won’t do what they say if it means killing  _ you.” _

Kakashi falls to the ground, catching himself before he falls. “So you understand why I’ll never hand over Naruto.”

“I do.” Tenzo shoots a glance over his shoulder. “Go!”

“Te-“

Kakashi stops short when he recognizes the scent and sounds of more approaching. They’re out of time. He won’t be able to ask Tenzo to come with him. He can’t ask him what made him turn against the Hidden Leaf, or what the Akatsuki wants with the villages’ jinchuriki. He won’t be able to ask why Tenzo seems to feel betrayed by the Leaf while still caring enough about Kakashi to take the risk he takes now.

He meets Tenzo’s eyes, wishing he could convey all of this clearly, but there is just too much to say in one tired look. Tenzo’s eyes seem to say they understand, until he makes a yell of surprise. Kakashi ducks away, knowing he has to  _ actually _ escape now, because the others are here. Tenzo will pursue him with the rest of them. Kakashi summons what little chakra he was able to regain during their conversation and weaves his hands as he runs, knowing exactly what he needs to do to escape.

A complicated, exhausting chase happens and as much as Kakashi is tied up in it, his mind is locked on Tenzo. The sight of him dressed in foreign robes, with a line through the leaf symbol on his happuri, the same determination on his face he used to wear during the ANBU missions they shared.

He doesn’t know what the Akatsuki's aim is, but Tenzo’s loyalty to them makes Kakashi question just how much they really are the Hidden Leaf’s enemies. He questions what they could’ve said to convince Tenzo to aid their cause. 

Now he has another goal. 

Not only does he need to warn the village, protect and prepare Naruto for what is coming for him, and improve his own abilities to fight the Akatsuki’s amazing power, but he needs to save his friend.

If he has to, he’ll save Tenzo from himself. He’ll do whatever it takes not to lose another comrade.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been fun writing for Kakayama week again! This was my last work for the event. Hope you enjoyed and thank you to the people running this.


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